4^ Stone, The Haunt of the Lyve-Bird. [■sf'juiy 



The Haunt of the Lyre-Bird. 



By a. C. Stone, R.A.O.U., Melbourne. 

 On a fine day we traversed dense fern gullies in the Dandenong 

 Ranges (Vic.) in quest of the Lyre-Bird (Menura victoria). A 

 rough track took us a good distance up a hill-side, where we 

 diverged into the forest. The view changed at almost every step 

 — now through the trees, where a glimpse was obtained of the 

 waters of Western Port Bay, many miles distant, then we were 

 again so completely shut in by giant tree-ferns that the light 

 became dim. Here was a sight to dehght the nature-lover. Tree- 

 ferns, from a foot to 30 feet high, spreading out their feathery tops 

 in all their soft and glorious greenery, no two angles of growth 

 being the same. Some ferns were almost upright, while the 

 crowns of others were two feet or less from the ground. L>ang 

 on the ground were thousands of fern-tree trunks, covered in 

 lesser plants. 



Interspersed with the fern-trees were myrtle, musk, and sassafras 

 trees, and huge eucalypts towering over all, to a height of 200 feet 

 at least, and with a circumference of 40 feet at six feet from the 

 ground. Some of these trunks bore the marks of stone axes, 

 where aborigines had cut toe-holes to enable them to climb the 

 tree in pursuit of possums (phalange rs). This spot is the home 

 of the Lyre-Bird. the Pilot-Bird [Pycnoptilus floccosus), the Rose- 

 breasted Robin {Petroica rosea), and other species. 



Up the tinv creeks the " going " is particularly strenuous owing 

 to the denser and danker growth, and the scrambles over or under 

 slippery fallen trees and ferns. But we cheerfully overcome these 

 difficulties, for here is the place where the nest of the Lyre-Bird 

 may be found, and here our real search begins. The nest is some- 

 times placed many feet from the ground, on a leaning tree-trunk, 

 but more often on the bank of a creek. After a prolonged search 

 we were rewarded by finding a nest of the previous season, and 

 one much older. Suddenly from the hillside in some thick timber 

 and bracken came the call, " BHck, blick," instantly recognized 

 as the natural notes of the Lyre-Bird. 



Proceeding very quietly, we were able to approach to within 

 30 feet of the bird, which proved to be a fine male, standing on 

 a branch several feet from the ground. Keeping perfectly quiet, 

 we were dehghted to hear him mimic the beautiful notes of the 

 Grev Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla harmonica), the laugh of the 

 Great Brown Kingfisher [Dacelo gigas), the plaintive cry of the 

 White-browed Scrub- Wren {Sericornis frontalis), the " Guinea-a- 

 week " of the male Pilot-Bird, and the reply of the female, the 

 crack of the male and female Coachwhip-Bird {Psophodes crepitans). 

 the raucous note of the Gang-Gang Cockatoo {Callocephalon 

 galeatiim), the fiute-like carol of the White-backed Magpie 

 {Gymnorhina leiiconota), the song of the Collared Butcher-Bird 

 {Crcictictis destrttctor), the screech of the Crimson Parrot (Platy- 

 cerciis pennanti), the song of the Yellow-breasted Whistler {Pachy- 



